I had a blast last Sunday with this family as we did some “art exploration” of our own amid the Art Fair activities in and around the Plaza and the Nelson Art Gallery. These two reminded me so much of my own brother and me when we were growing up … you like each other, sometimes you don’t like each other … but it’s always a little creepy when somebody asks you to hug for the camera. Once we got to rolling, these two were complete naturals in front of the lens. There are more sneak peek shots than usual, but I couldn’t narrow down my favorites and I’m already a tad behind getting this session on the blog – thanks for being patient this week while my travels took me to the Windy City and back. Thanks for a morning well spent! Enjoy your images!

Sunday morning proved to be one of those shoots where it was just about effortless. I had ideas, and this family was so comfortable in front of the lens, that our morning was more like a walk downtown than a quote-unquote photo shoot. Despite never having done this type of a shoot before, this beautiful group gave me such amazing expressions and made it so much fun. I was seriously waiting for someone to walk up to them and offer them a modeling gig! There are so many great shots where these came from, but I wanted to get your sneak peek posted before bedtime (ok … so I missed that by a few hours, but hey), so here are some of my favorites. A big thanks for a wonderful morning!

When you’re three years old, life moves pretty fast! Good thing I had my sneakers on Saturday morning! This awesome little guy was set for exploration and we left no stone (or snail) unturned as we explored the woods and the waterside. A big thanks to mom and dad who pulled their best silly song and dance “out of their hats” behind me, allowing us to capture some terrific, toothy smiles and sheer joy on his face. This was the first of my fall shoots, and the cooler weather was such a welcome relief … We managed to get so many great shots before the rain came … whew! Thanks, guys, for the wonderful morning. Enjoy your sneak peek!

I had two of the first of my fall shoots this weekend and am busy at work getting images ready for sneak peeks here on the blog and for client galleries. Check back often as I hope to have a handful of my favorites out here by mid-week. I get this crazy energy when I get home from a shoot … it’s the anticipation of loading all of the images onto the computer and reliving the expressions, the laughs and the moments that make each session unique. It’s the same with every shoot … 

I post-processed this afternoon and then switched gears this evening, which brings me to this post. I’ve had the pleasure of photographing healthy, spirited children and families … like the three-year-old you’ll see this week in a sneak peek. But I’d like to call out images of a different kind and kids (just like the kids below in my blog) who need our help. The pics below are courtesy of a coworker, Michael Love’s, Web page for his daughter, Taylor. Last Christmas, she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare pediatric cancer, at 17 months of age. Since then, the Love family and many others just like them have been swept up into a whirlwind of insurance companies, hospitals, treatment protocols and emotion. Neuroblastoma is called an ‘orphan’ cancer because the big pharmaceutical companies and corporations aren’t readily backing funding for research, even though treatment protocols at New York’s Memorial Sloan Kettering are proving to be promising.

Michael Love, along with six other dads of kids with neuroblastoma, met at Memorial Sloan Kettering, where their children are all undergoing aggressive treatment, and decided to do something to raise awareness and money for research. And The Loneliest Road was born. Named for a stretch of Highway 50 (part of the route they’re cycling) and the feeling they have as families trying to save their children’s lives. Last Monday, the seven dads began cycling across the U.S., starting in Sacramento. They’re cycling day and night until they reach Washington, D.C., where they’ll unite with other neuroblastoma families. They’re created a website — www.loneliestroad.org — where you can learn more about the treatments, the disease, the children and, most importantly, how to donate. These families, like all families whose children are battling horrible diseases, are simply amazing. When Michael was asked why do this? He said merely, “I’m trying to get her future back. I have her past and her present, but what I really want back are visions of her first day of school, learning to drive, her first dance, walking her down the aisle at her wedding. This disease is trying to steal that from us and I’m doing everything possible to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

To everyone who enjoys reading my blog and seeing the beautiful images of smiling, happy, healthy families: Please say a prayer for Taylor and the other families in the thick of this battle. And please donate.